1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an improved structure of hose connection for an air mattress, and more particularly to a multi-fitting hose connection structure for use with an air mattress of a medical bed, which is composed of a casing, a plurality of pipe fitting units, a retention board and a resilient buckle, wherein the pipe fitting units, the retention board, and the resilient buckle are combined together as an assembly that is then set inside the casing for releasably coupling with a connector of an air pump so as to provide for connecting multiple air hoses and increases loosening resistance.
2. Description of the Related Art
A hose connection structure of a conventional air mattress of a medical bed is shown in FIG. 4. The conventional hose connection structure 40 is integrally formed by injection molding and comprises a plurality of pipe fittings 41 and two resilient plastic side barbs 42. In the conventional structure, when the hose connection structure is put into engagement with a connector of an air pump (not shown), the engagement of connection is maintained by the two resilient plastic side barbs 42 engaging the connector. The resilient barbs 42 that are made of plastics are soft and flexible in structure so that in a practical application, tough situations, including air charging, air hose shaking, and being forcibly pulled, may occur to loosen and thus separate the hose connection structure from the air pump. Further, the state-of-the-art technology only allows for a single array of three juxtaposing pipe fittings for hose connection and thus, an air mattress that is inflated through the hose connection can only be divided into three separated zones, often a head zone, a back zone, and a leg zone, for controlling and operation. When one of these zones leaks, then the leaking zone becomes deflated and loses the support function thereof. Thus, the conventional device only allows for limited variation of control and thus does not meet practical requirements.
The demand of improved functionality of the air mattress is getting higher and higher. For example, an air mattress is now divided into more and more separated zones to allow each separated zone to carry only a small area of a user's body and a small fraction of the body weight. This also allows for individual control of inflation timing of each inflatable zone for alternately inflating and deflating each individual zone so as to alleviate pain and occurrence of poor blood circulation and bedsores caused by fixed and long-term contact with a fully inflated zone. Further, the alternation of inflation and deflation provides an effect of body massage that further alleviates the occurrence of pains and bedsores. Currently, a need for hose connection that connects six to nine air hoses is emerging. Further, a more secured coupling of the hose connection that connects a greater number of air hoses is also needed. Apparently, an improvement of the conventional hose connection structure is needed.
In view of the problems that the known hose connection structure is not capable of providing sufficient connection with a large number of air hoses and that the know connection structure is not of sufficient coupling strength to carry the large number of air hoses, the present invention aims to provide a novel hose connection structure for an air mattress that eliminates the above discussed problems.